NCAA reconsiders hardship transfers

Student-athletes who seek transfers due to “difficult life circumstances” might have to sit out a season but gain an extra year of eligibility starting in 2015-16.

The NCAA Division I Leadership Council has recommended the elimination of immediate eligibility for players approved for hardship waivers. The NCAA said the proposed change would give athletes a year to focus on academics and the circumstance that led them to seek such a transfer in the first place before they can play.

The proposal is also intended to reduce concerns about waiver process abuse and claims of inconsistent decision making. The NCAA approved 127 of 236 such waivers from July 2012-June 2013.